My grandmother has a saying, “I’m not gone beg NOBODY to take my money.” I don’t know if she’s talking about pride or power, but it hits. It’s not something she says to get attention about any one particular thing. But watching the world—and these companies playing in our faces—had me asking a question I couldn’t shake:
Am I adding to the problem, or am I using my power toward a solution?
Because here’s the truth. A lot of us aren’t using it—not because we’re careless, but because we’ve been made to feel like we don’t have options. And that is exactly what they want you to think.
The Chokehold Is Real. And It Was Built That Way
Think about this. Water used to come out the tap—free, safe. Fruit used to grow in the backyard. And now we buy cases of plastic bottles and pay a premium for anything that grew in actual soil. We are dependent—almost completely—on systems and companies that did not build themselves with us in mind.
Black Americans hold nearly $2 trillion in buying power. If that spending were its own economy, it would rank among the largest in the world. That is not a small number. That is not insignificant. And the Target boycott proved what that number can do. When Target rolled back its DEI commitments and pulled support from Black-owned businesses, we moved—and they felt it. Billions in market value. Store traffic down double digits. That’s not noise. That’s power.
They know it too. It’s why they work so hard to make you feel like you have no choice. But we’ve seen what happens when we move together. And I say: keep your foot on their neck. Too late for sorry. Dismantle them one by one. Because the next company that wants our dollar better come correct—because we are not playing anymore.
The Slow Walk Away From Walmart
I’ll be honest. I’m not some activist shopper with a spreadsheet of corporate ethics. I was a Sam’s Club member buying water, toilet paper, chicken salad and snacks for a household of six. Habit. Convenience. And convenience, I’ve learned, is exactly how they keep you.
But I couldn’t ignore what I was watching. The Walton family. Walmart. Sam’s. And others. Using the everyday purchases of everyday people to fund the exact forces working against those same people. I’m not naive—I know greed doesn’t announce itself. A company can start somewhere decent and let the love of money quietly rot what was good. The love of money is the root of all evil. We’ve seen it. It’s happening in real time.
My Sam’s membership renewed right before I got my Costco card—so I’m riding it out. But I’ll be canceling before that annual fee comes around again. And Walmart? It’s been almost six months since I’ve been through those doors, with one exception: oil for my car. I’m actively working on that too. One step at a time.
And then the kids’ father called and said, “Hey, the job is giving us Costco memberships. You just have to go take your picture.” It felt like a door opening exactly when I’d been looking for one.
Why Costco?
I’d done my research. When pressure came for Costco to roll back its DEI commitments—the same pressure that sent Walmart, Target, Meta, and Amazon running—over 98% of Costco shareholders voted to keep them. They held the line. Publicly. And then their numbers went up.
A company that treats its employees well, holds its value under pressure, and invest in diversity is a company I can bring my money to. For now. I leave room for companies to show me who they really are. But right now, Costco is showing me.
And then a location opened up just 15 minutes from the house. Grand opening. My card already in hand. We were there — samples and all. (Watch the full vlog [here].)
Intentional Spending Isn’t Perfect. It’s a Practice
I’m not here to hand you a list of approved companies and tell you that you’re doing it wrong. But I will say this: we have to start asking—who benefits when I spend this dollar?
And I’ll be the first to acknowledge the complexity. I’m on Meta right now. I market, I advertise, I post reels—and I am not unaware of the contradiction. These companies have woven themselves into the fabric of how we live, work, and build. That tension is real. Which is exactly why we have to be intentional about where we can move, and keep moving.
H&M put a Black child in a hoodie that read “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle.” Dove ran an ad where a Black woman appeared to wash off her skin and became white—and then did a variation of it again. These aren’t isolated accidents. That’s a pattern. And once a company shows you the pattern, they’ve told you something. I’m not gone beg them to get it right.
We are asking one simple thing: if the Black dollar is that powerful, and you still can’t find room for us at the table, in the boardroom, or even in mind—you do not care about us. Full stop. I’m not interested in begging anyone to see me. Come as you are. Once you show me you have no interest in seeing me, I’m out. No pleading. No performing. Done.
My grandmother also says, “Lie to me pretty.” She can forgive imperfection. But she’s not going to stand there and beg to be respected either. Neither am I.
Intentional spending is not always convenient. The friction is part of the design—they have made themselves essential on purpose. But there are enough companies genuinely competing for our dollars that we can begin to shift. One category. One renewal. One purchase at a time.
The world is shifting. And so are we.
BTW: “Until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the hunter.” — African Proverb
So tell me: What’s one spending habit you’ve already shifted—or one you’ve been sitting with? Drop it in the comments. Let’s talk about it.
📺 [Watch: Costco Grand Opening Vlog →]
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